Sheba’s left eyebrow arched up. “I was told to present myself here at this time in order to receive instruction on wielding my grandson’s Aaka.”
“It seems Vashti is amusing herself by throwing surprises at you,” Thanatos remarked.
“Did someone die?” Sheba inquired.
“There has been no death, not that I have been made aware of. Why does everyone always ask me that?”
“It seems Vashti is amusing herself,” Jubal agreed, “But is the joke on you, me or all of us?”
“Except for during assembly, I rarely see you without a death of some kind being in the area,” the wife of Ham replied to Thanatos, and then added to Jubal, “If there is a jest involved, I fail to see what about this situation could cause laughter. I asked her not to speak to others of my private education, but did not mean you. My only surprise is that Thanatos is here. This particular lesson will obviously not be in private.”
He did not bother trying to explain the humor, if Vashti’s stunt was meant to be funny; he being no longer sure of her intention.
The arrival of two more students confirmed the fact that the lesson would not be in private. Isis and Osiris entered moments later, both wearing the woolens of a Weapocarn. She eyed the taker of the dead, but her husband shook his head and looked Jubal in the eyes. “I have heard a person could die wielding the Aaka, but did you really think it necessary to have him standing by to collect one of us in case we failed?”
Athena, pale-skinned and dark-haired, walked in before the question could be answered. Her white sleeveless gown followed the curves of her waist and hips and stopped at her shiny white slippers. “That is the longest flute I have ever seen and is quite beautiful. Did you make it?”
Jubal shook his head. “This instrument is Tubal’s innovation and the flute beside it, which I modified into a producer, is my innovation. To the left of the two devices is the skin upon which I have written the tune, Elevation. I want each of you to make a copy for yourselves, and then we will get started with the lesson. I will explain the producer after each of you has successfully wielded the Aaka.”
The daughter of Zeus, who for the first ten years of her life actually believed she sprang to life from the deepest thoughts of her father and did not like to be reminded of that belief, nodded and picked up a sheet of tanned-leather, as did the other students. Only then did her eyes focus on the lean figure in black. “Jubal, I see you have prepared for the worst. Hopefully his services will not be needed.”
“My thought exactly,” Osiris stated and glanced at his wife. “Will summoning potential harm the child in her womb?”
It was a good question and Jubal dearly wished he knew for sure. “I believe the worst the babe will feel is perhaps the elation that comes when we first tap into the pool of life-force energy. But Isis, you will be the first pregnant Nephilim to ever wield the potential, and the choice to do so is entirely up to you. I cannot guarantee no harm will come to your baby,” he said without commenting on the presence of Thanatos. His attendance seemed to be having a sobering effect, reminding everyone of the consequences of being reckless when wielding the Melody.
Isis glanced at the swell in her abdomen and after a few moments nodded her head, clearly having come to a decision. “The probability of you being correct about the feeling of elation is so high; I believe the risk of harm to be minimal. I will learn how to tap into the pool of energy within me.”
“Is there a reason you are glowing blue?” Sheba inquired of her instructor.
Jubal nodded and smiled. “After teaching Ares, it seems prudent for me to stand ready to intervene in the event a student inadvertently wields the potential in a manner that would jeopardize the safety of others in the room.”
“A wise precaution,” Thanatos said while hastily writing the last note of the Aaka onto the skin.
Athena’s head moved in a way that could be interpreted as agreement with the safeguard while she was about to finish her copy of the Aaka. Sheba, Osiris, and Isis had not yet begun.
When the three finally realized the lesson would not begin until every one of them completed their copy, they went to work. It took one and a half turns of the sandglass to teach them to summon potential and levitate themselves, after giving all the warnings about volume, dehydration, and being precise with the notes and durations.
Each person learned at their own pace, Isis being the quickest and Sheba right behind her. Athena succeeded before Osiris and Thanatos took the longest. His copy of the Aaka was so sloppy he could barely read the notes and kept blowing the wrong tones. It was only after reading Jubal’s copy that the collector of the dead managed to summon his potential.
Jubal observed his students, each having summoned their life-force energy, and added Da Capos to keep the potential ready to be wielded. The color of each aura was unique. Thanatos had a hue that reminded Jubal of the fur on a gray wolf, while Sheba’s was the color of a burning ember. Athena’s life-force was tinted like the petals of a buttercup. Osiris matched the wings of a purple skylark and Isis, the color of primrose.
The pregnant Nephilim smiled and rubbed her belly. “Horace or Basala, if this one is a girl, really seems to be enjoying the sensation. I know I am.”
Jubal was pleased to hear it, about the babe. The sense of feeling almighty was common to every person who had ever wielded potential, yet he doubted he would ever grow tired of seeing the look in his students’ eyes the first time they succeeded in tapping into the pool of life-force energy within them.
He demonstrated and taught them the most efficient way to focus the energy, in a beam, and while imagining the lowest volume. “You may have noticed the Aaka begins drawing more power from your pool of energy when you reach the crescendo. That will happen no matter what volume you begin the melody. I suspect this occurs because this is the way Nimrod created it in his mind. The volume at which he imagines the piece will determine how much potential will be required of the wielder. I will speak to him of this to verify my theory, but if it is true, some of his tunes may require less energy and some may require more. If I am correct it means the greater the volume the greater the power requirement and the greater the risk of dehydration. This is something we must determine or people will die.”
He and all of his students released their potentials. Thanatos began rubbing his narrow chin and finally stopped and shook his head. “You have spoken of death more often in the last hour than I do in a day. I’m getting the impression wielding potential can be extremely hazardous to our health.”
Vashti entered the room just before the last sentence was uttered and had waited to speak her mind after hearing the remark. “That is exactly what I wanted all of you to be mindful of. Each of you, yes you too, Jubal, seem to understand the meaning of the words; dangerous, hazardous, and deadly, but seem to think you can ignore the risks.”
Clearly her omitting a certain name from the list of students had not been an attempt at humor. Rather, it was to drive home a point. The matriarch nodded, accepting the reasoning and the admonition as well.
Jubal knew well his reputation for jumping into peril, but that did not mean he failed to consider the risk. “Speaking for myself, I am always aware of the risks when out in the wild and when wielding my potential. When it comes to the use of life-force energy, the responsibilities laid upon me guarantee I will be testing the boundaries of any Aakas composed by Roddy and how they can best be implemented. Even so, your reminder worked really well. Unlike my previous group lesson, no one treated the power as if it was something to be played with.”
“I am glad it worked and I also know what your responsibilities are. Never-the-less it does not hurt to take slow steps. You don’t always have to make your discoveries in a sprint. Careful deliberation and study can sometimes get a person farther in the long run than running blindly along an unfamiliar path.”
Leave it to his wife to throw his own words into the mix. A hunter who did not take the time to properly read a trail wa
s doomed to head into trouble or at least come home empty-handed, unless he or she was lucky. People considered him to be blessed with such, and he often was, but depending on chance did not guarantee meat on the table. “Would you like to see the fruit my careful deliberation and study have resulted in?”
“I have been waiting since before you turned over the sandglass the first time,” Thanatos responded.
Jubal picked up his modified flute, willed potential to flow into it, and pointed the instrument at the bed. A beam the color of his life-force energy shot out, striking and enveloping his target. With an upward flip of his wrist, he raised the nocturnal couch half way to the ceiling. “This is a producer. With it I can cast the Melody without playing the tune at all, not even in my head.”
“Will you make one for me?” Athena was the first to ask, followed by Isis and Osiris.
“I want one too,” Thanatos made his desire plain.
Jubal scratched the side of his temple. “It takes time and effort to make. I think four silver pieces is a fair price for the ability to wield potential without the possibility of playing or thinking of a wrong note. You are the truly fortunate students because starting tomorrow; every new enrollee will have to pay a gratuity for the education.”
Vashti’s mouth dropped open, but her surprise quickly grew into a smile. Sheba nodded as if she expected something of the sort, but Isis and Osiris drew themselves up, full of indignation. Before they could express themselves in words, Thanatos spoke up, “I charge those who can afford it for my services, it is only fair Jubal and Vashti be compensated for theirs.”
“How much will the lessons cost the new group of students?” Isis wanted to know after taking a few moments to adjust to the idea.
“I have not yet discussed the cost with my wife, but she and I will have a price by tomorrow morning,” Jubal replied while looking Vashti in the eyes.
-----
That night Jubal dreamed of an ideal city of peace and harmony, tens of thousands of paces in diameter, at the heart of which was a massive ruby shaped like a pyramid. The structure stood far larger and grander than anything Imhotep had yet to build. A huge diamond in the shape of an eye stared from the apex. Of the many dreams that flickered through Jubal’s mind in the pre-dawn hours, the smooth-sided pyramid remained locked into his soul; the rest he simply forgot.
-----.
By the time Roddy returned with all three caravans, everyone was talking about how great it would be to live in Semidon, except the eight ancients, who wanted to stay where they were, yet encouraged the notion of going out and filling the earth. The usual malcontents grumble over the idea, but any change would have stirred up complaints from them.
Jubal taught over a thirty Nephilim, including Ra, Oden, and Victoria, how to wield Elevation safely and effectively and sold two hundred producers, which had taken no small amount of work on his part to make. The skillful use of his life-force energy had speeded up the process considerably; otherwise it would have been impossible to carve so many flute-shaped shafts or weave so many strings from animal guts in such a short amount of time.
Semi was given two producers, one for her and one for Nimrod, but was really thrilled when Jubal gave her four hundred pieces of silver; calling the sum Roddy’s royalty. Jubal would have charged each student four pieces of silver for the lesson in summing potential, but Vashti had insisted the gratuity should be six, half of which would go to Roddy, who was thrilled upon arriving and seeing so much wealth being generated by his talent for composing an Aaka of power. He congratulated them for turning what had been a public welfare service to a wealth building enterprise. The Nephilim were more than willing to pay for the privilege of wielding potential, after some initial grumbling, yet had to admit most of them would have charged more if the situation had been reversed.
Both couples were sitting at a table in a two-room hut constructed for Semiramis, a very temporary dwelling arrangement provided while a large team of men was at work clearing mud out of the house built by Imhotep. Jubal and Vashti sat at one end and Roddy and his wife sat at the other. “It makes sense that the volume I imagine the Aaka to be has a bearing on how much potential will be required. Obviously I cannot create a Melody more powerful than my own pool of energy can produce, but that begs the question, how do we determine the relative strength of each Nephilim?”
“For that matter, is there something we can use to determine right away if a new-born is an Anakim or a Nephilim?” Vashti added her question. “Currently we must wait until the child is old enough to exhibit signs of greater endurance.”
Jubal nodded at his friend from childhood. “You are the one with the talent, O Aakasear. Mull these concerns over in your mind and perhaps your soul will inspire Aakas to give us the ability to determine both.”
A slight smile formed on the lips of the hunter who was wearing the lion-skin coat that was presented to him upon arrival. The garment covered a robe of golden threads. “Yes, O instructor of those who wish to wield my Aakas, composing Melodies to solve the problem is exactly what I will do. Even now I feel a pattern of tones beginning to form, but the inspiring thought seems to be centering on lions and how much I would give to command them. If a Melody comes of this feeling, I will have you hear and record it, but not put it in a producer or teach it to others. That tune will be restricted to us four. I will decide who else will be granted the knowledge.”
Jubal did not understand the reason for the restriction, but recognized his friend’s right to make the call. “It will be as you say. Is there anything else we should discuss before Vashti and I head back to Japheth’s Hill?”
The river was back to normal and the ground, though muddy, allowed for walking the distance. Roddy had been presented with a lion-skin coat; Jubal had been presented with a new pair of boots and a scarlet and black hooded cloak, made of silk. Since his mottled green and brown woolens had not turned up, even though he had paid for them to be made, he wore his white dress-robe beneath the cloak. The foot-ware had come from Vashti and the fancy garment from his mother, who presented it to him in thanks for not only teaching her and Lilith to summon potential, but also in gratitude for the producers given to the matriarchs. He could not bring himself to charge the three eldest Nephilim. His greatest relief came from the fact that his foot no longer hurt and he did not walk with a limp. If Medica had been a Nephilim, he would have given her a producer to show his gratitude.
Vashti was also wearing scarlet and black silk, but hers was in the form of a gown. Semi had on a pink dress in contrast with the scarlet potential radiating around her. She did not actually focus her potential, merely sat there glowing. The cost to her was the frequent need to sip from the crystal cup in her hand. The Tinies would never see the glow when she was out and about unless she increased the volume, but other Nephilim would know she held potential and was not one to be trifled with. Jubal wondered why she was making the display in front of him and Vashti. The show did not impress him as anything other than vanity, yet he did not begrudge the woman putting on airs if such made her feel better.
Roddy leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “As you know, Semi and I have won over the hearts of the vast majority of the population. Few are bothering to rebuild here, most are looking forward to our exodus from this place to the land of plenty we have promised them. Semidon is practically on every lip.”
“So I have heard,” Jubal confirmed, knowing most of the comments were favorable and some voiced as a curse. A small number spoke about looking forward to seeing the Nephilim depart and never return, but Semidon was definitely on their lips.
“We would not want you to take this the wrong way,” Semiramis interjected, “you have so many things to do, instructing Nephilim and making the producers that make us rich, we simply did not want to burden you.”
Her concern over his feelings and labors told him far more than the simple words. There was something she and Roddy wanted him to have no part of. “I am content with m
y current role,” Jubal replied, glanced at Vashti, and then added before she took it upon herself to respond, “What might I take the wrong way?”
“I have decided to appoint Oden, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Kronos, and Ra to be judges of the people. Semiramis, Hera, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Set, Osiris, and Isis will be administrators.” The fact that most of them were Weapocarn team leaders did not escape Jubal’s notice. He listened as his friend continued giving the information. “The tribal leaders have agreed to act as councilors. This is the form the new government will take beginning tomorrow,” Roddy proclaimed almost as if he was addressing a crowd, perhaps he was practicing.
Vashti looked him in the eyes. “Why would my husband take wrong your leaving him out of the government? By the way, are we sitting before the king?”
Semi’s voice rang out in musical tones of laughter. “No, my dear that title will come after the city is built and I will then be queen. For now my husband is the chief administrator.”
Jubal hated politics and Nimrod knew that, which was why being left out of the government was a good thing. They understood each other. The chief would never have started off with, “We would not want you to take this the wrong way.” That was Semi’s wording, not his.
“Roddy, I had no doubt you would prevail over those who sought to be leader and am glad to see your dram is about to come true,” Jubal replied before his wife could respond, him not being sure what she would say, “I am content to be the Instructor here or in Semidon. My wife and I were aware of what you and your wife were doing and Hermes sent me a pidgin informing me of the agreement between you, Artemis, Apollo, Hades, and Poseidon. The rest I did not know but comes as no surprise.” He did not bother mentioning how bad an idea it was to give official authority to someone like Set.
“I know well how you feel about politics. Ever in the past when I brought up the topic, you would either attempt to change the subject or let your mind drift off on a flight of imagination. Blazing a new trail is always what you have done best. I truly am impressed with your innovations and am not surprised you keep finding profitable ways to wield potential. Dragging you into my government is a flooding waste of your talent and would be like throwing you to the wolves.”
Dawn Of The Aakacarns Page 18